Vending device.



No. 780,989. I PATEN' ED JAN. 31, 1905.

J. GREGGRY,

VENDING DEVIKJE APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

mmwt'oz 1m 780,989. PATENTED JAN.31,1905.'

' J. GREGORY.

VENDING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION IILED JAN. E3, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.-

No. 780,989. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905, v v J. GREGORY.

VENDING DEVICE. APPLICATION I'ILP D JAN. 9, 1904.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET :3.

No. 780,989. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

' LGREGORY.

VENDING DEVICE.

A-I fPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

. m Wu-"553 243 '7 a I I a 37 7 v W I I Gumm .''0 all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

'JULIUS GREGORY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO SOUVENIR SELLING & MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION .OF NEW YORK.

VENDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,989, dated January 31, 1905.

Application filed January 1964. Serial No. 188,396.

Be it known th t I, J uLIUs GREGORY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vending devices.

The particular object of my invention is to produce a vending device for the sale of postal cards and the like.

While the improvements which will be .1.

scribed and claimed in this application are particularly adapted for use in connection with an automatic vending device for the delivery of cards and the like, many of the features are of general application, andI con-' template their use in connection with any machine in which they may be found desirable.

My invention consists in providing a cardfeeding device which will be released by a suitable trip operated by coin or the like and the feeding device operating upon the release of the trip to deliver a single card from the magazine. The invention also form of feed-roller.

' The invention also consists in certain parts and combinations which will be specifically deconsists in a particular scribe-d and then pointed out in the claims.

Referringto the drawings, wherein the same part is designated by the same reference-numerals wherever it occurs, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case containing my apparatus. case, showing the mechanism in top plan. Fig. 3 is a section on line m 00 ofFig. 2. Fig. 1 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 3, showing the case insection and the operating mech anism in front elevation. Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view of the card-magazine and feedroller. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the trip-arm and connections. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the feed-roller and part of the card-magazine. .IFig, 8 is an edge elevation Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the.

I 'of' the escapement-wheel, showing the wheel in its normal position. Fig. 9 is a view simi lar to Fig. 8, showing, however, the wheel in the position it assumes when the trip-arm has been moved down by a coin. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are diagrammatic views showing the feed-roller and the escapement-wheel in their difierent positions. Fig. 13 is a detailsectional view showing the pawl and the block on which the trip-arm is mounted.

1 designates any suitable casing, which as shown, consists of the base 2, the back 3, sides 4, these parts being connected together and forming the fixed part of the casing. The back 3 is extended up toform a display-board 5, as shown in Fig. 1.

6 designates the front, which, as shown, is hinged to the bottom at 7. I

8 designates an opening provided with a glass 9, through which the interior of the box may be seen.-

Hinged to the top side of the front 6 at 10 is the top 11. As shown,this top isprovided with a staple 12, which passes through a hole cut in the back 3, by which the case may be fastened by a lock or other means 13.

While I have described the form of-casing of my apparatus, I desire to have it understood that any other form of casing may be used in lieu thereof if it be found desirable.

14 designates the coin-slot, which, as shown, is located in the top 11. top 11 isthe delivery-opening. Preferably and as shown the delivery-opening is formed by an elliptical opening 15 in the top of the cover, and depending down from this opening is a slot 16 of a width sufficient to receive the cards, the slot being formed of suitable metal. In order to allow a persons hand being eX- tended downinto the slot to take hold of a card, the sides of the slot are opened down, as at 17 to coincide with the elliptical opening 15. By this construction it will be seen that I have produced a delivery-slot which will guide a card and at the same time permit a delivered card to be taken from the machine,

Also located in the- Mounted within the box is a frame consisting of a base 18, from which extends the side plate 19. Preferably and as shown these side plates are formed of sheet metal and at the front are bent at an angle to form the plates 20.

21 is a plate secured to one of the side plates 19, the plate 21 being angular, as best shown in Fig. 2, whereby a base'is formed between plate 21 and side plate 19, in which the operating mechanism is supported. Secured between the side plates 19 is a cross-plate 22, which forms the stationary side of the cardmagazine and against which the cards are held.

23 is the bottom plate of the magazine,which is also secured to the side plates 19. Inthe operation of the machine the pack of cards stands on this plate, as is best shown in Fig. 5. Secured to the plate 23 is a leaf-spring 24, which extends up from the plate and is curved inward in position to rest against a pack of cards near their upper end when the cards are in a position best shown in Fig. 5. 25 is a second leaf-spring, which curves downwardly from the spring 24 and has its free end in position to rest on the pack of cards near its lower end. By this construction the cards are held against the plate 22 throughout the length of the pack.

26 is a feed-roller provided with a flat side 27 and has the shaft 28. One end of this shaft passes through an opening 29 in one of the side plates 19 and the other end of the shaft is provided with a notch 30, adapted to regis ter with a corresponding projection 31 on the shaft 32.

33 is a spring located between the opening 29 and the frame 19 and the feed-roller, whereby the projection 31 is held in the notch 30.

34 is an ordinary clock-spring, one end of which is attached to the shaft 35 and the other end to the part 20 by a screw 36. Loosely mounted-on the shaft 35 is a gear 37, having a pawl 38, which is adapted to engage with the ratchet 39, fast on the shaft 35. is a spring carried by the gear adapted to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet. By this construction, which is an ordinary clock-spring construction, the gear 37 is driven by the clockspring through the shaft 35, and the spring may be wound up by a suitable winding device. as 41, without rotating the gear 37.

42 is a shaft mounted in the plates 19 and 21, and on this shaft are mounted the gears 43 44, the gear 37 meshing with the gear 43.

45 is a gear which is secured to the feedroller shaft 32 by means of the set-screw 46, this gear meshing with the gear 44, whereby the clock-spring constantly tends to rotate the feed-roller shaft.

Mounted on the shaft 32 is the escapementwheel 47, this wheel being of such construction that when the holding-pawl for the escapement-wheel is operated it will make a single revolution. The escapement-whcel is formed of the spokes 48, which are bent out of the plane of the hub of the wheel and carry the rim 49. This rim is cut away for a portion of its periphery, and extending from the rim into the opening formed by cutting away the rim is the projection 50. This projection is in the form of a stop. and its end is adapted to make contact with an escapement-pawl to be hereinafter described.

51 is an arm which extends out from the hub of the wheel in the plane of the hub. The end of the arm 51 is out of line, therefore, with the end of the projection and the arm 51 is in advance of the projection 50.

52 is a shaft carryingin its inner end a projection 53, which is eccentric to the shaft and which by the oscillation of the shaft is adapted to move from the plane in which the arm 51 rotates to the plane in which the projection 50 rotates. This eccentric projection 53 being in the plane of movement of the projections on the wheel will intercept them and form a sort of escapement-pawl. ()n the outer end of the shaft 52 is secured a collar 53 by any suitable means, as a set-screw 54, and projecting through a lug 55 of the collar is a triparm 56, one end of the arm being formed into a hook 57, which stands in a channel 58 of a coin-runway 59., The opposite end of the trip 56 is preferably providcdwith a weight 69, which may be adjusted along the same in order to counterbalance the weight of the free end of the trip. This trip may be actuated in any suitable manner, as by coin coming down the runway 59 and striking the free end of the trip.

The coin-runway is preferably composed of the inclined runway 60 and a vertical runway 59. The receving end of the inclined runway 60 extends to the coin-receiving slot 14 in order to receive the coin dropped in the slot. In order to prevent the operation of the machine by any coin except one of the proper size and weight, the coin-runway is slightly tilted out of the vertical plane, so that the coin will pass out the runway resting against one of the sides of the runway. Where the vertical and inclined portions of the coin-runway come together, the side of the inclined runway against which the coin rests is bent out, as shown at 61, and over this stands a projecting finger 62. This finger is in the form of a triangle, and the free end of this triangle is bent out to extend over the side of the inclined runway, whereby a coin of a sufliciently large size coming down the runway will be caught by the point of the triangle and will be caused to continue in the runway; but a coin smaller than the proper size coin will pass under the point 62 and will follow down the side 61 and be dropped out of the runway without it coming in contact with the trip, only a coin of at least as large I Fig. with its fiat side toward a pack of cards.

The trip-lever stands in the position best shown -in Fig. 4 with its free end at the up-' per end of the vertical coin-runway resting against the stop 63, formed by cutting away the side of the runway. When the trip is in this position, the shaft 52, carrying the escapement dog or pawl 53, is in such position that the dog is in the path of the arm 51, and thus prevents the escapement-wheel from rotating under the influence of the clock-spring. When a coin of the proper denomination is deposited in the slot, it goes along the'inclined runway, then into the vertical runway until it strikes the trip. If it is of the proper weight,

it carries the trip down until the trip has passed out of and beyond the runway to allow the coin to drop into the box. The trip during this movement oscillates the shaft 52, which moves the dog 53 from in front of the projecting arm 51 into .the path of the projection 50. Consequently the escapement-wheel will move under the influence of the clock-spring until the projection 50 makes contact with the dog 53. When the trip returns to its normal position under the influence of the counterbalance 69, the dog 53 moves back to its normal position, the arm 51 has passed, and consequently the escapementwheel is free to rotate under the influence of the clockspring until the arm 51 again comes in contact with the dog, which will be at the end of a single revolution. The feed-roller being connected to the shaft upon which the escapement-wheel is mounted moves in'unison with the escapement-wheel, and the diameter of the feed-roller is such that by a single revolution it will feed a card sufficiently far up in the slot to be grasped by the hand of the purchaser and withdrawn. portion of the feed-roller cut away which is opposite tothe pack ofcards when the parts are in their normal position, the roller is normally out of contact with the cards, and moving into contact and then pressing them back causes a firmer and better hold of the card than it would were the contacts constant.

three parts of inking-roller composition and I By having that one part of hectographic composition. This mixture I find takes an excellent grip of the card, feeding it with great positiveness, does not deteriorate by use, and does not adhere to the card.

In order-to prevent more than one card being fed at a time, I secure to the side of the magazine the arm 64: by means of the screw 65, the free end of this arm being bent inwardly at right angles to form the arm 66, which extends over the pack of cards, and the free end of this arm is bent at right angles to form a finger 67. By means of the screw 65, on which the arm is practically pivoted, the position of the finger can be adjusted so that it will allow a single card to be fed at a timg and prevent the feeding of more than one car While I have described what I believe to be the preferable form of my invention, I desire to have it understood that many-changes may be made in the form and construction of the parts and other parts substituted for those shown without departing from the spirit of my invention. Furthermore, some of the parts can be used in entirely different combinations than those shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vending device, the combination with a feeding device, of a motor constantly tending to operate the feeding device, a wheel carrying two stops out of line with each other, a trip adapted to be suitably actuated and normally in engagement with one of the stops and adapted to be moved into engagement with the other stop, and then back in position to be engaged by the first stop after the wheel has made a complete revolution.

2. A feeding-roller adapted for use in a vending device having its surface formed by mixing together inking-roller composition and hectographic-surface composition.

3. A feed-roller adapted for use in a vending device having its surface composed of a mixture of three parts inking-roller composition and one part hectographic composition.

4. In a card-feeding mechanism, the com: bination with a feeding mechanism adapted to feed the cards one at a time, of asuitable motor adapted to operate the feeding mechanism, an escapement-wheel for controlling the operation of the feeding mechanism, said escapement-wheel having a part of its periphery cut away, a stop carried by the periphery of the wheel at one end of the cut-away portion,a second stop .out of line of the first stop and projecting into the cut-away portion, a trip adapted to be suitably operated, so that it will move from the path of one of the stops into the path of the other stop.

5. The combination with an escapement.

Wheel provided with a plurality of stops, of a trip comprising a tripping-arm, a shaft to which the arm is connected, the shaft having eccentrically mounted thereon a trip-dog, said dog being moved by the trip-arm into positions Where it will intercept the stops on the escapement-wheel and control the escapement.

Signed by me at New York city, county and State of New York, this 30th day of December, 1903.

JULIUS GREGORY. Witnesses:

PAUL BONYNGE, EMMA W. FINLAYSON. 

